FOREST

Forest is a large area of land thickly covered with trees and bushes. Types of Forests: Forests thrive in diverse climatic regions throughout the world, and can be categorized by their locations and elevations. Here are the different types of forests: y Tropical: lush, dense forests found near the equator. They are vital storehouses of the planet's biodiversity; Sub-tropical: consists of trees that can resist the summer drought.They are found to the north and south of the tropical forests; Mediterranean: located to the south of the temperate regions and made up primarily of evergreen trees; Temperate: mix of coniferous evergreen and deciduous trees found in North America, northeastern Asia and Europe; Coniferous: These forests are found around the poles in cold, windy regions and contain both conifers and hardwoods; and Montane: also known as cloud forests. Contain mainly conifers and are found in highelevation tropical, sub-tropical and temperate zones.

Importance of Forest in the Overall Ecosystem: The world's forests hold importance for all of their inhabitants as well as for the overall health of the planet. The benefits of forests to society and to the diversity of life make it vital that they be protected from deforestation and other potential negative impacts of civilization.

IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS
1. Climate y Decreases Green House Effect or Global Warming - Increasing green house effect is a growing menace for all sorts of life on the globe. Only forests can fight this danger in a very good manner; Cleanses the Environment - Trees help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Trees remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates. Biggest Source of Oxygen - Forests are the biggest source of oxygen which is essential for animals and plant life on the globe; Transpiration - Forests cause rainfall through the process of transpiration which converts waters it absorbs from soil into vapor water; Windbreaks Against Cold and Hot Climate - During windy and cold seasons, trees act as windbreaks. A windbreak can lower home heating bills up to 30%. A reduction in wind can also reduce the drying effect on other vegetation behind the windbreak during hot seasons;

2. Ecology y Produces Humus for Plants - Releasing carbon and mineral elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus as they decay (trunks and leaves) which is called humus which is the biggest source of soil fertility important to plant growth; Prevention of Erosion Forest reduces the force of rainfall at the soil surface by intercepting and absorbing water, rather than allowing it to run off directly producing flood and land erosion in low lying areas to include urban places and agricultural lands; Windbreaks Against Soil Degradation - The trees also anchor the soil and prevent the winds from blowing the surface soil away;

Watershed - Rivers and streams receive water that flows down from very steep mountains where trees act as a watershed;

3. Bio Diversity y Habitat for Diverse Life - Forests provide habitats to diverse animal and insect species which also serves as sanctuary of animal and insect species which are not yet even discovered;

4. Commercial y Source of Timber - It is a large source of timber for building, houses and furniture as well as firewoods; Source of Raw Materials as Primary Material - Wood pulp is the primary source of raw material for paper industry and matches, and its byproducts such as wood chips and sawdust are also useful for other practical use; Source of Raw Material through its Produce (Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, Sap and Barks) Produce of trees from the forest provide raw material for a number of other industries like rubber trees for sports goods, cotton trees for clothing materials and by products of trees use for different household and manufacturing purposes; Source of Raw Material as Ingredient - Many kinds of pharmaceutical medicines, cosmetics, detergents, rayon and other useful materials like gums, resin, turpentine oil, are made from the raw material that can be found in forests; Source of New Medicines and Drugs - These new species and diverse raw products, when researched, may produce new medicines and drugs than may cure diseases in human; Ecotourism - Forests are important to humans for aesthetic reasons as well, and ecotourism is one way to use and promote the protection of forests in a sustainable manner; and Livelihood for Human - Many people depends on the harvesting, transporting and processing of trees and its produce for commercial use.

FOREST DENUDATION

Is to strip a forest by depriving it of something it needs in order to exist. For example, to strip it's surface layers, in some cases by erosion. Forest Denudation is caused commonly through a ripping and burning process to create farmland. Also when harvesting native forests for timber in an unsustainable fashion. Not that there is anyway to cut down old growth forests and not cause irreversible long-term damage. Forests are denuded by removing plantation trees on a large scale in an already established timber forests. Although, some causes are natural such as volcanic eruption, typhoons, land erosion, extreme heat and cold, tsunami, forest fires cause by lightning, and other natural causes that destroy a large area of the forest.

DEFORESTATION
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use.

Deforestation in Mexico for Farmland

Causes: Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees or derived charcoal are used as, or sold, for fuel or as timber, while cleared land is used as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. Disregard or ignorance of intrinsic value, lack of ascribed value, lax forest management and deficient environmental laws are some of the factors that allow deforestation to occur on a large scale. Effects: The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforested regions typically incur significant adverse soil erosion and frequently degrade into wasteland. Deforestation causes extinction, changes to climatic conditions, desertification, and displacement of populations as observed by current conditions and in the past through the fossil record.

Source: y y y y Forest Denudation - http://wiki.answers.com Importance of Forest - http://www.about.com Forestry - http://wwf.panda.org Deforestation - http://www.wikipedia.com